Newport Crossings

Newport Crossings project — as of September 2018

Project Overview: This is a modestly revised return appearance of the Residences at Newport Place proposal (rejected by both the Planning Commission and City Council in 2016) for high density, high rise residential redevelopment of the now shuttered shopping center that was formerly home to “Arnie’s Deli” and “Il Barone” restaurant — a pentagon of land along the MacArthur corridor in the Airport Area, bounded by Dove, Scott, Corinthian and Martingale Ways (and an abutting office parking lot). In this reincarnation of the rejected plan, 350 apartments are planned, down from the earlier proposal for 384.

Why We’re Watching: The return of a previously rejected proposal is always of concern. SPON continues to feel that although the City’s 2006 General Plan allowed for adding housing to the Airport Area, the plan for actually doing that, and its consequences (both for the city in general and on the potential future Airport Area residents and existing office park uses in particular), have never been adequately thought out. The already-approved and under construction Uptown Newport project seems ominously like the undesirable development constructed along the Jamboree corridor in nearly Irvine. Before additional projects are approved in Newport Beach’s portion of the Airport Area, SPON believes that either the General Plan needs to be updated or a more comprehensive specific area plan for the area developed.

The need for better planning is exemplified by the rationale offered, when essentially the same proposal was previously before decision makers, for converting the shopping center to residential: there were, the owner said, not enough residents in the area to support his center. But by replacing the small amount of existing retail with housing, the developer will be creating new residents who, with the center gone, will likely have too little retail to serve them. That doesn’t sound like good planning — and for many it remains hard to see how housing belongs at all so close to an airport — typically a buffer zone reserved for office, retail and industrial/manufacturing uses.

Upcoming:

December 6, 2018: The EIR has not yet been released, but December 6 has been announced as the tentative date for a Planning Commission Study Session to review the project.

Recent Events:

November 30, 2017 @ 5:00 pm: Was the deadline to submit written comments to be considered in the “scoping” of the EIR. See Notice of Preparation for submission details.

November 16, 2017 @ 6:00 pm: Per the Notice of Preparation, “Scoping Meeting” was held in the Evelyn Hart Event Center at the OASIS Senior Center in Corona del Mar. Staff and consultants described the project and invited comments on issues that need to be addressed in the EIR.

November 1, 2017: The City announced the posting of a “Notice of Preparation” for an Environmental Impact Report to be prepared prior to any City approvals (this is an improvement over the previous proposal, whose approval was considered with only a lesser “Mitigated Negative Declaration”). Comments on issues that need to be addressed in the EIR are due by November 30, and can also be offered orally at a public Scoping Meeting to be held on November 16.